L13 - Human Influcences

Question 1

In what ways can humans intentionally change an animal’s behaviour?

Answer 1

Training

Selective breeding

Question 2

In what ways do humans unintentionally change animals’ behaviour?

Answer 2

Selective breeding for physical traits such as skull shape can change the behavioural traits of an animal

Climate change

Anthropogenic noise and light

Question 3

In what ways can anthropogenic noise affect animals?

Answer 3

Changes habitat use

• traffic noise, industry noise
• whales move away from noise

Change in times of vocalisations:

• birds sing at different times and at different frequencies
• stop vocalising in certain areas

Ability to detect predators:
- can hear the predators - hermit crabs

Ability to find prey:
- Bats use sound for hunting

Question 4

In what ways can anthropogenic light affect animals?

Answer 4

Extended foraging time

Change in predator-prey dynamics - e.g.: lizards sit on lights to catch flies

Change in reproductive behaviour

Change in efficacy of communication -

Influence of orientation and navigation - sun for direction etc.

Question 5

How is climate change effecting animals?

Answer 5

1) Alters food availability and consequently changes foraging decisions - different areas and different times - means you may run into new prey or predators too
2) Change in predator-prey reactions - e.g. larger packs of wolves as its colder, means they can take down larger prey
3) Changes timing of reproduction and migration - bugs come out earlier which wouldn’t be a problem, but if birds migrate somewhere the food source may be gone, or a change in temp may mean they migrate at different times anyway

Question 6

Give some other wyas in which we change animals behaviours

Answer 6

Habitat destruction

Introduction of invasive species - red and grey squirrels

Removal of native species

Urbanisation